Michigan awards $1 million grant to support Fisher Body Detroit plant transformation

(CBS) – The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy awarded a $1 million grant to support the conversion of the former Fisher Body Plant 21 into housing.

On Thursday, EGLE said the $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment Grant will cover investigation, transportation and disposal of the contaminated soil. The investment will also support the cleanup of a leaking underground storage tank and install a vapor mitigation system, according to a news release.

The $153 million project will include 433 residential units and 4,190 square meters of ground-floor commercial space.

“We are very pleased that EGLE is supporting us with a significant grant to help us redevelop this historic, highly visible and very challenging site,” said Brian Vosburg, senior director of Brownfield Redevelopment at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, in a statement. “EGLE has long been a key partner with the city in the cleanup and remediation of many of Detroit’s most environmentally challenged properties.”

The city of Detroit announced in 2022 that the historic factory will be converted into a mixed-use residential area that will also include affordable housing and retail space.

The 105-year-old Fisher Body plant was built in 1919 and used by General Motors until 1984. It was later used by a paint shop until it was abandoned in 1993. It then became the property of the City of Detroit in 2000.

EGLE found asbestos-containing materials and lead paint inside the facility and removed the underground storage tank in 2010. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed soil and equipment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls.

The renovation is expected to be completed in summer 2026.